UTERJanuary
Sheepshead on the pilings; trout up the rivers
Fiddlers or shrimp tight to the bridges; slow jigs in the Pascagoula and the Delta.
Bay St. Louis to Perdido Pass
Mississippi & Alabama Coast fishing
What's biting in Mississippi & Alabama Coast in October: pompano, redfish and spotted seatrout at their peak, with tarpon, cobia and king mackerel around too. Fish Scouter's season calendar follows 42 fish here month by month, from Bay St. Louis to Orange Beach.
The flounder run and the easy trout bite
The Mississippi Sound behind Cat, Ship, Horn and Petit Bois islands, the Biloxi Marsh to the west, Mobile Bay and the Mobile–Tensaw Delta, the Dauphin Island bridge and causeway, Perdido Bay and the Alabama beaches — with the world's biggest artificial-reef zone just offshore of Orange Beach.
Bay St. LouisGulfportBiloxiOcean SpringsPascagoulaDauphin IslandMobileGulf ShoresOrange Beach
Updated
Now · October
The flounder run and the easy trout bite
Bull minnows at the Dauphin Island bridge and Perdido Pass; trout on the Biloxi Marsh lease poles.
FlounderSpotted seatroutRedfishPompanoBlack drumGag grouper
This month here
From the season calendar, best firstPeakSpawningPeakPeakPeakPeakPeakPeakPeakLeavingLeavingLeavingLeavingLeavingLeavingLeavingLeavingLeavingLeavingLeavingLeavingLeavingLeavingLeavingLeavingAroundAroundAroundAroundAroundAroundAroundAroundAroundAroundAroundAroundAround
Pompano
A smaller fall run back along the beaches.
Redfish
The bull run at Pass Christian, Horn Island and the Dauphin Island bridge; slot reds on the marsh edges.
Spotted seatrout
The easiest bite of the year on the Biloxi Marsh and the oyster-lease poles.
Flounder
The fall run at the Dauphin Island bridge, Perdido Pass and Pass Christian — the best flounder month.
Gag grouper
Whiting
Fall fish in the first trough.
Bluefish
Wahoo
Wahoo on the deep rigs.
Blackfin tuna
Tarpon
Cobia
A few fall fish on the reefs before they head south.
King mackerel
Spanish mackerel
Tripletail
Jack crevalle
Ladyfish
Blue marlin
Blacktip shark
Bull shark
Bonnethead shark
Atlantic sharpnose shark
Atlantic croaker
Gafftopsail catfish
Tiger shark
Atlantic spadefish
Sheepshead
Mangrove snapper
Black drum
Sand seatrout
Red snapper
Vermilion snapper
Greater amberjack
Yellowfin tuna
Swordfish
Little tunny (bonito)
Scamp
Gray triggerfish
Almaco jack
The water
The tide here
Diurnal, 1–2 ft
One high and one low most days and a small range — wind and fronts move more water than the moon. A moving tide matters twice as much here.
Structure that matters
Grass flatOyster barPass / inletBridgeFishing pierBeach / surfChannel edgeArtificial reefWreckMarker / buoy
After a cold front
Fronts push trout and reds up the rivers and bayous — the Pascagoula, the Mobile Delta, the Biloxi back bay. Fish slow and deep for two days; the marsh edges reload on the first warm afternoon.
Month by month
What's happening, and what to throwFebruary
Sheepshead and drum spawn at the bridges
Dauphin Island bridge and the causeway; white trout in the ship channel.
March
Cobia run starts; pompano on the beaches
Tower boats along the Alabama beaches for cobia; sand fleas for pompano at Gulf Shores.
April
Peak cobia and pompano; trout on the grass
Sight-cast cobia; pompano jigs at Perdido Pass; trout on the Biloxi Marsh grass beds.
May
Island trout, red snapper opens, kings arrive
Wade Ship and Horn islands at dawn; the reef zone for snapper — check ADCNR / MDMR.
June
Snapper on the reefs, trout on the islands
Cigar minnows on the reefs; live shrimp on the island grass beds.
July
Tarpon off Dauphin Island; blue water offshore
Tarpon around the bait off the islands; blues at the DeSoto Canyon edge.
August
Peak tarpon, gag opens, bull reds start
Dawn in the Sound; bull reds at the passes late month.
September
Bull reds at the passes; flounder start to run
Cut bait at Dauphin Island and Horn Island passes.
October · now
The flounder run and the easy trout bite
Bull minnows at the Dauphin Island bridge and Perdido Pass; trout on the Biloxi Marsh lease poles.
November
Trout fill the rivers; flounder head out
Pascagoula and Delta for trout; Alabama has a fall flounder closure — check ADCNR.
December
Winter on the pilings
Bridges and docks for sheepshead; deep river bends for trout.
Fish guides for Mississippi & Alabama Coast
When, where and what to use, fish by fishAlmaco jackAtlantic croakerAtlantic sharpnose sharkAtlantic spadefishBlack drumBlackfin tunaBlacktip sharkBlue marlinBluefishBonnethead sharkBull sharkCobiaFlounderGafftopsail catfishGag grouperGray triggerfishGreater amberjackJack crevalleKing mackerelLadyfishLittle tunny (bonito)Mahi-mahi (dolphin)Mangrove snapperPompanoRed snapperRedfishSailfishSand seatroutScampSheepsheadSpanish mackerelSpinner sharkSpotted seatroutSwordfishTarponTiger sharkTripletailVermilion snapperWahooWhite marlinWhitingYellowfin tuna
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